I know that mental health can be a sensitive subject for some people. Some people might think that we shouldn't talk about mental health too much, or think mental health issues should be kept private altogether. I do not agree, and from what I've observed, one of the best ways to make people aware that mental illness is an important issue is to talk about it openly and honestly.
When it comes to mental illness, the most important thing for a person to do is seek help. Some may say that therapy doesn't really work, or that it's a waste of money or time, but it can be incredibly helpful on someone's road to recovery. I suffer(ed) from an anxiety disorder (another topic I may cover in a future article), and anyone who has ever dealt with any mental problem has probably been told the same things I was told.
"Calm down."
"Get a grip."
"Just get over it."
"It's all in your head."
Yeah, it is all in your head, and that's the problem. Just because mental illness isn't always visible, it doesn't mean something isn't wrong.
It's words and situations like these that make it easier for people to talk to a therapist than their family or their friends; which, to me, shouldn't be the case. Regardless, it is the reality at the moment, and I know of some cases where parents wouldn't take their children to therapy because they believe it "doesn't really work." Therapy works, and it works well. Of course, it isn't a cure-all for whatever the person is dealing with, but it points them in the right direction so they can start being healthy again.
Pills can work too, and they are okay to take, but nothing beats speaking to a real person about your issues. Therapy helps you learn about yourself, the way you think, and why you think the way you do. It's like when a doctor is searching for a physical problem with your body and they run a few tests on you to see what's wrong. Once they find what's wrong, they diagnose you and attempt to treat it. The same can be said for therapy, except they're helping you treat your mind.
When I think back to my days in therapy and counseling, I remember bad days and good days. Bad because I didn't understand what was wrong with me, and good because I had someone telling me that was okay, and that I will know eventually and be able to free myself from it. I was fortunate enough to not have an extremely harsh mental issue, unlike others who have to take copious amounts of pills and see a therapist more often than I did (once a week). Through my days of therapy, I thought about how fortunate I was to actually be there. Sure, I had a problem that caused me to be a little bit of a shut-in, but I also was able to get help. Some people don't, and I hope that someday all people will see mental illness as just another illness that needs to be dealt with patience and gentleness.
I hope for a time when we can all be open and honest with each other about our struggles. We're all human, and our trials might be different, but no one is a stranger to pain or hardship. Therapy is a good place to start the conversation, but I hope it doesn't end there.
